Rotary engine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. J. BENTLEY.

ROTARY ENGINE.

No. 406,080. VPatented July 2, 1889.

I ox? Y2 JOSEPH d. BENTLEY (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. J. BENTLEY.

ROTARY ENGINE.

No. 406,080. Patented July 2, 1889.

wr- IIIIIIIIIIIHHIIH N puns. Pnnwuumgnphw. washmgmn. nc.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH. J. BENTLEY, ()F SADORUS, ILLINOIS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 406,080, dated July 2, 1889.

Application filed February 18, 1889. Serial No. 300,283. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may Concern.:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH J. BENTLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sadorus, in the county of Champaign and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in theimprovements in rotary engines hereinafter to be described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l represents aside view of my engine partly in longitudinal seetion. Fig. 2 is an end view of the engine with the cylinder-head C removed, so as to show the interior of the cylinder. Fig. 3 is a crossseetion of t-he cylinder on I[he line l 2 of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. l is a detail side view of the rigid abutment E and its supporting-shaft I). Fig. 5 is a side view of the engine-cylinder withv a port-ion broken away to show the interior and the operation of the valve-pistons. Fig. G is a side view of the spring-bearing for Athe shaft D. Fig. '7 is an end view and partial section of the same. Fig. 8 is across-section of the cylinder head and adjustable spring-pressed face-plate. Figs. 0 and l0 are side views of the said face-plate.

This invention embodies certain improvements on the engine described in Patent No. 262,602, grant-ed to John McGowan August l5, 1882.

In the drawings, where like reference-letters refer to the same parts throughout, S and S are standards set in any suitablebed-plate, as shown. These standards support suitable bearings, as Q and F, for the engine. I3 is the engine-shaft proper, upon Which is keyed the pulley I. Upon this is mounted the cyl inder A of the engine. The hollow shaft D supports the rigid abutment E, upon which the steam gets its fulcrum from which to turn the cylinder A and with it the shaft B and pulley I. The passages I and K in the shaft D and abutment E serve, respectively, for the induction and exhaust of the steam, as shown.

The cylinder-head C is bolted to the cylinder A, and the packing-gland C and ring L, surrounding the shaft D and screwed down upon the hub of the cylinder-head (i, render the cylinder steanrtighu IVithin the cylinder A is a circular block Z, bolted or keyed to the cylinder so as to revolve with it, as shown in Fig. 15, and having suitable recesses, in which are mounted the valve-pistons O O', as shown in Figs. l, 3, and 5. At the other end of the cylinder A is the adjustable faceplate R, which is pressed inwardly against the face of the abutment E by the springs R R', whose pressure is regulated by the screws 'l T. The face-plate R has as many radial searfs IV \V cut in it as there are valve-pistons O O', and against the edges of these searfs lV the said valvepistons rest when forced out into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5.

The valve-pistons O O are mounted on axes in the block Z, so that when forced out by the springs X into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5 and in full lines in Fig. 3 they are radial to the cylinder.

The fan-shaped abutment E tits over the end of the supportingshaft I) and sets up against the collar M, which is cast solid on the shaft I). The follower M is then placed on the projecting end of the shaft, and the bolts are passed through M', E, and M, bolting the abutment E to the shaft D. Of course the follower M could be dispensed with but this is my preferred construction, as shown in Fig. 4l.

The sprin g-bearin g for the supporting-shaft D is shown in detail in Figs. G and 7. The pedestal-block G and the cap G are held together by bolts Il and II. The bearing-pieces F and F slide up and down between and on the bolts lI and II and are controlled by springs above and below. There is a keywayin one of the blocks F or F as shown in Fig. 7, with which a spline on the shaft D engages to prevent the shaft from turning. The same object might be accomplished by making the shaft I) square.

It would obviously be still within the scope of my invention to dispense with the upper set of springs, shown in Fig. 7, and use the lower set only; but I have preferred to show both.

IOC

The perforated cap D screwed on to the as shown by the arrows in Fig. 2.

end of the shaft D, as shown in Figs. 1 and Gy, affords a convenient means of connection for the steam and exhaust pipes.

The spring-pressed packingpieces V V on the edge of the abutment E, shown in Figs. l and 2, are for the purpose of preventing the 'passage of steam between the surfaces.

The method of operation of the engine is evident. The steam enters by the steam-pipe I, and is discharged through the valve-ports, It expands between the face of the abutment E and the Valve-piston O, and turns the cylinder until another valve-piston drops down before it, when the same action is repeated. The st-eam remains imprisoned between two valve-pistons till one of them passes the exhaust-port, as shown in Fig. 2, when it rushes out, as indicated by the arrow.

The advantages of Amy improvement are obvious.` The adjustable spring-pressed faceplate takes up the wear of the parts within the cylinder, which is always considerable in a rotary engine. It also adjusts itself to any slight angular displacement of the working parts of the engine resulting from the shafts B and D getting out of alignment, which might be caused by a bending of the shaft B from the pull of the belt running over the pulley P, by an error in setting up the engine, or by many other things. The vertical play of the shaft D on its spring-bearings tends to the same adjustment, and is especially designed to accommodate the working parts to the sagging of the engine caused by the wearing down of the bearing Q, in which the shaft proper turns.

. The method of attaching the abutment E to the shaft D (shown in Fig. 4) allows of an angular adjustment of E upon the shaft D, so that the valve-passages will register with. one another exactly, and obviates the difficulty of making an awkward casting encountered when these parts were all made in one piece. The capacity of endwise movement of the shaft D in its support Gr permits thetaking up of the wear within the cylinder of the engine. This is done automatically. The

spline on the shaft D keeps the same from turning without the necessity of its Vbeing tightly clamped in its bearings. Hence the action of the springs R causes the shaft to move endwise and automatically take up any wear of the parts within the cylinder as the same is produced by the running of the engine.

It is evident that the cylinder A might be stationary while the abutment E might revolve, in which case the spring-supported bearing would be placed under the shaft B, for the essence of my invention consists in the idea of having the stationary portion of a rotary engine supported on springs, so that it will adjust itself to any inequality of motion or failure of alignment of the revolving parts.

Having therefore described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination in a rotary engine, the cylinder, a suitable abutment within the cylinder mounted on a shaft. normally in line with the axis of said cylinder, a collar on said shaft at a suitable distance from that end of said shaft which is within the cylinder, and bolts pressing through the abutment and through the aforesaid collar, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the cylinder of a rotary engine, a suitable abutment within said cylinder, the shaft on which said abutment is mounted, and the spring-bearing for said shaft, together with the hinged valvepistons turning on axes at one end of the cylinder and arranged radially thereto, together with a face-plate at the other end of the cylinder adjustable in the direction of the axis of said cylinder, and at any slight angle to said axis, substantially as described.

In a rotary engine, the combination of the cylinder, the spring-pressed face-plate,

`the abutment within said cylinder, the shaft on which saidabutment is mounted, and the bearing for said shaft, within which the shaft is automatically adjustable in the line of its axis, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. j

JOSEPH J. BENTLEY.

Vitnesses:

JAMES LUMLEY, H. NicHoLs. 

